According to NBC News, Hillary Clinton’s vice presidential shortlist now includes former Florida governor (and perennial Florida congressional candidate) Charlie Crist.
Crist is, of course, best known for his atomic orange tan (Donald Trump only wishes he could reach Crist’s level of pure florescence) and his very public defection from the Republican Party. He joined the Democrats in 2012 to pursue a second gubernatorial run against incumbent Republican Rick Scott.
Obama isn’t thrilled with the idea (he’d prefer Tim Kaine). But Florida is a key swing state and Florida Man is a key Trump voter demographic, so Crist has a great shot.
The only drawback is that Crist has a long, strange history in Florida politics. Here are five of the best Charlie Crist moments.
1. Crist used a below-the-podium fan to “cool off” during tough debates. Crist is often accompanied by a tiny electric fan during debates and press conferences, which he uses to keep him alert and awake— and so that he “doesn’t get sweaty.” It also served as a convenient tool for his opponents. In the Florida gubernatorial debate, Crist delayed proceedings for almost 10 minutes as his staff argued with debate organizers who banned the fan.
2. He once tried to bribe an opponent out of the race with a necklace. When still an Independent candidate for Senate, Crist offered his opponent a gold cross on a necklace, which Crist said was a gift from his sister. Apparently, Crist called the candidate, Democrat Kendrick Meek, asking to meet up later at a lobbyist convention. When they joined up, Crist pulled out the necklace and told Meek that he could have the cross if he dropped out and helped Crist defeat then-candidate Marco Rubio.
Rubio went on to win the Senate race. Crist went on to become a Democrat.
3. The Florida Republican Party sold his official portrait on eBay. When Crist swapped parties, the Florida GOP held a fire sale to rid themselves of Crist memorabilia. That included his official, commissioned oil portrait from his days as governor. They listed it as a “Privately Commissioned, High Quality, One of a Kind, Genuine Oil Painting on Fine Linen Canvas,” and started the bidding at around $1,500—a bargain, considering they paid more than $7,500 for it. (It sold for around $6,500.)
4. He ran his Senate campaign out of a lingerie store (with the sign up). Florida residents looking to pick up some brand new underpinnings were surprised to learn that Maison Rouge, a high-end intimates store, had been converted into Crist’s campaign headquarters. And his team didn’t take down the sign.
5. He made awesome law firm commercials. After losing the race for Senate to Marco Rubio, Crist had to find full-time employment while he planned his next move. So, for approximately 10 minutes in 2012, Crist joined the law firm of Morgan & Morgan, Florida personal injury attorneys. He even cut a television ad.
Better call Charlie!